Cool Book Alert — Anouk Krantz Focuses Her Lens on Today’s Cowboy

The cowboy has long been an archetype of the American West: a solitary, fearless figure who embodies the spirit of independence and that of a pioneer. In her most recent book, American Cowboys, photographer Anouk Masson Krantz intimately captures the lives of these trailblazers of the wide-open vistas of the West. The French-born artist’s previous books, Wild Horses of Cumberland Island (2017) and West: The American Cowboy (2019), earned her national recognition. Her work has also appeared in galleries and museums. Most notably, the National Cowboy & Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and the Booth Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.

Born and raised in France, Krantz moved to the United States in the 1990s to finish high school. She worked for a lifestyle magazine while in college, and, after earning her bachelor’s degree, worked for Cartier’s corporate office in New York. She later studied at the International Center of Photography and has since received accolades from the International Photography Awards and International Monochrome Awards.

For American Cowboys, Krantz traveled solo across the country, exploring the realities of ranch and cowboy culture today. As Texans, we’re all too familiar with the conventional cowboy, but Krantz’s images bring the quintessential character of the past into the 21^st century, including women and people of color.  Through an unvarnished lens, she invites us into an elusive world filled with these untold stories largely overlooked by history. Her raw portrayal proves that the modest values of hard work, perseverance, and a shared love of country are still very much alive in the American West. The book also includes a forward from Taylor Sheridan, writer, and director of the hit show Yellowstone.

American Cowboys, $80, at Interabang Books, interabangbooks.com.